


New Jedha City

by icandrawamoth



Series: New Jedha City Trilogy [3]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Goodbyes, Jedha, POV Bodhi Rook, Post-Rogue One, Post-Star Wars: A New Hope, Refugees, volunteering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 18:55:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13196445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: When the rest of Rogue One arrives at the Jedha City refugee camp, Bodhi has a decision to make.





	New Jedha City

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third part of a trilogy, so you'll want to read parts [one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9249038) and [two](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13195614) first.

Bodhi steps carefully over the dozen or so people sleeping on the floor of the U-wing's cargo hold and makes his way to the door. Outside, the Jedhan sun has barely risen, and there's still a distinctive chill in the air. He tugs his jacket closer around him.

Something at the bottom of the ship's ramp catches his eye, and he moves toward it curiously. Someone has wedged a ragged piece of metal into one of the posts in the fence surrounding the camp. Words have been etched into the makeshift sign: _New Jedha City_.

“Nice, right?” Kinn Truden has come up behind him. “Someone put that there overnight; didn't see who.”

Bodhi glances over the camp just starting to wake – people emerging from tents and rough shelters and starting cooking fires, children crying to be fed, animals lowing, life beginning for another day. It's easy to imagine that someday this could be an actual city, a monument to what they've lost as well as a living, breathing place all its own.

“I think it fits,” he decides.

“Me, too.” Kinn stands next to him, flicking through a datapad. “You ready for a busy day?”

Bodhi turns to her. “What've we got?”

“A busy one,” Kinn repeats knowingly. “Let's see... Just overnight, we've got: a kid went missing and needs a search party, a shelter collapsed and sent six people to the med tent, someone knocked over a section of fence, and a ship came in with no one on board who speaks Basic, and we need to see if someone can act as a translator.”

Bodhi's attention stops at one thing, his anxiety instantly ratcheting up. “One of the shelters collapsed?”

Kinn looks up at him, sympathetic. “I don't think it was one of yours, Bodhi. Even if it was, we're not exactly building things up to code here. I don't think any of the injuries were very serious, anyway.”

Bodhi nods, trying his best to put that particular bit of stress aside. “Okay. Where do you want me, then?”

Kinn chews her lip, looking over the list again. “After you've had some breakfast, why don't you head over and help Turo repair the fence? I don't think that should take too long, then maybe the two of you and some of the others can see about putting that shelter back together. How does that sound?”

“I'm at your command,” Bodhi tells her and gets a smile.

“I wish everyone here was as compliant. Breakfast, then work.” She waggles a finger at him. “I know how you like to put others before yourself.”

Bodhi laughs. “Yes, ma'am.”

After a breakfast of cold rations, Bodhi finds Turo, his Tognath building partner, and the collapsed section of fence. Nearly half of one of the four sides is down, and he wonders idly what happened before realizing it doesn't matter. It just needs to be fixed.

Kinn is right; it doesn't take long, but Bodhi wishes so much of the work didn't happen in steely silence. Turo was probably the person Bodhi talked to most here before his connection with the Rebel Alliance came out. Turo isn't such a fan, for reasons Bodhi can understand, but being somewhat cut off like he has still hurts.

At least Turo is somewhat civil to him, though, if icy. The Tognath seems to accept that Bodhi is here with a genuine intention to help, even if they disagree philosophically. Others had quit speaking to Bodhi entirely and started actively avoiding him when he and Kinn had brought them the story of the Death Star, the truth revealed against the Empire's propaganda.

It is what it is, he decides as they replace the last cross-post and make their way toward the collapsed shelter. He can't make everyone like him, as much as he wishes otherwise, and it's a waste of his energy to try. Repairing the shelter takes most of the rest of the day. Bodhi is sure to double and triple-check every joint, refusing to let anyone be injured on his watch even if it wasn't his fault the first time.

He's exhausted by the time they're finished. When he meets Kinn and her council at the camp leader's fire for dinner, he barely has the energy to talk himself, but gratefully takes in the woman's summary of the day. Child found, shelter repaired, fence fixed, translator secured. Buoyed by the news of such success, Bodhi retires to the U-wing when he's finished eating. Before laying down, though, he does what he does every night and logs into the holonet to check his messages.

There usually isn't anything important – brief updates from the Rebels, a note here and there from another member of Rogue One letting him on what they're up to and making sure he's all right. Tonight though, there's something that makes his heart leap.

A text transmission from Cassian. The captain says all the members of Rogue One have returned from their various missions and reconvened on Yavin 4. They're waiting for a ship to become available, then they're coming out to Jedha to meet him.

Bodhi falls asleep with a smile on his face, eager to see his friends again.

* * *

When he tells Kinn about the message the next morning, she takes pity on him and puts him on sentry duty. This night hasn't been nearly as active, meaning he's not urgently needed elsewhere, and she understands that his eyes are going to on the sky most of the day waiting for his team. Plus she figures it might go over better with the rest of the council if she tells them herself that more Rebels are on their way.

Bodhi is only too glad to be away from that conversation. He meets with the other sentries currently on duty, and the four of them divide the camp perimeter among themselves. Though he takes everything he does here seriously, Bodhi knows security isn't a huge deal. They haven't been bothered yet by anyone from outside the camp, either sentient or animal. Even the weather has held stead, mostly mild and without rain.

Bodhi spends the day alternately gazing between the empty sand flats and raising a hand to shade his eyes as he looks to the sky. He wishes a comlink signal could make it from Yavin 4 to Jedha or that he actually had the free time to check his holonet messages every five minutes to know exactly when Rogue One is coming, but he more than knows that wishing doesn't accomplish anything.

The day is uneventful, seeming to drag on and on until near the noon meal, when the sentries are due to change shifts, and a loud sound echoes over the land – a ship breaking atmosphere. Bodhi's heart leaps as she scans the skies, and after just a moment, it comes into view: another Rebel U-wing.

It's all he can do to wait for his replacement before running over to the landing area to greet his team. By time he arrives, the ship's hatch is already down, the remaining five members of Rogue One filtering out. Bodhi is grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, if it isn't our missing pilot,” Jyn calls with a smile of her own.

“You knew where I was the whole time,” he returns as he accepts a hug and subsequently gets a string of them from everyone else. It feels so good to be with them again; he hadn't realized how much he missed them until this moment.

Before he can ask them what they've been up to, they're joined by Kinn. She eyes the newcomers warily. “These are your Rebel friends?” she confirms.

“I don't like her tone,” K-2S0 grumbles, and Kinn's eyes go comically wide.

“He's got a mind of his own, but he's on our side,” Bodhi is quick to explain as he hears Cassian's muttered, “Be _nice_ , Kay.”

“Are you going to introduce us to your new friend?” Chirrut asks.

“Sure, of course. This is Kinn Truden. She kind of runs the camp,” Bodhi tells them.

“Only kind of,” Kinn agrees with a laugh. “There is a team of us. So, did you guys come to help or just to take our Bodhi away?”

“To help,” Cassian assures her. “We brought as many supplies as we could spare. Prefab shelters, construction supplies, blankets, food. I think we even have a spare vaporator or two.”

For a long moment, Kinn can't even speak. Finally, she chokes out, “That's more than I ever expected. Thank you.”

Baze lays a hand on her arm. “Don't mention it. Chirrut and I are from Jedha City as well; we wouldn't have let them do any less.”

Kinn nods, blinking away grateful tears, and mutters, “Thank you,” again.

“Where would you like us to unload?” Cassian prompts gently.

“Oh, um...” Kinn sniffles, wipes her face on her sleeve, and looks around. “I'll grab a few more people to help, then I'll show you were everything can go.”

* * *

A few hours later, everything is off the ship and in its proper place, and the camp is ablaze with the flickering lights of campfires as dinner is served. For the first time since he arrived, Bodhi forgoes sitting with Kinn and her councilors and instead joins the rest of his team aboard the second U-wing.

“How long are you staying?” is the first thing he asks.

“We have leave to stay for three days, unless something urgent happens back at base,” Cassian tells him.

They sit in a circle on the floor eating from ration packs, and nothing has tasted so good to Bodhi as being back in their company. He nods. “Are they making any headway on finding a new base?”

“They have a few leads,” Jyn tells him. She makes a face. “I heard they're particularly interested in an ice planet on the other side of the galaxy.”

“Great.” Bodhi shivers just thinking about it.

“Exactly.” Jyn stirs her rations with a sigh. “Guess we don't have any choice, though.”

“You are coming with us, aren't you, Bodhi?” Cassian asks.

Bodhi squints up at him. “What do you mean?”

“He's worried you may want to stay here,” Chirrut fills him in. “And he's not the only one.”

“You seem really at home here, and I've never seen you give direction like you did while we were taking care of those supplies today,” Jyn agrees.

Bodhi gazes around the group, notices the anxiety on the human faces he hadn't seen before. Oh. “I...honestly hadn't thought about it,” he says honestly. But now that they've brought it up, he does. Bodhi pictures a different future for himself: staying here beside Kinn and the others, helping build New Jedha City into something worthy of the name, the thriving metropolis he had pictured the day before. He would be truly helping people in a way he could see, and it wouldn't be anywhere near as dangerous as going back to the Rebellion. He has to admit that it's tempting.

“The Rebellion wouldn't want to let you go,” Cassian says. “You know too much.”

Bodhi winces, setting aside that particular choice for another problem. “Yeah, about that...I may have told some the people here more or less what happened. Is that bad?”

“You what?” For a droid, K-2SO does a marvelous impression of a spit-take.

Cassian's voice is suddenly hard. “How much did you tell them?”

Bodhi feels himself shrinking defensively, shoulders hunched. “They were talking about how the Empire is calling what happened here a mining accident. I couldn't let that stand, Cassian. I had to tell them the truth. And I told them about how I defected and was with the Rebellion and that that's how I knew. I didn't tell them Galen or anyone else's names or say anything about the base or anything.” He chews his lip nervously, bracing for a rebuke.

Instead, Cassian only sighs. “It's not so bad then. And, anyway, it's done. How did they react?”

“Kinn believed me,” Bodhi says immediately, feeling somehow proud of her. “I think most of the others did, too. But they're angry anyway. They blame the Rebel cause for so much of what's happened.”

“That's not surprising,” Baze mutters. “People always want someone to blame, and the government they're supposed to trust isn't going to be their first choice.”

“We just have to show them we're on the right side,” Chirrut muses. “Look at it this way: who showed up here with relief supplies and manpower?”

“They can't say no to that,” Bodhi agrees. It's something, at least.

* * *

The next morning, Rogue One presents themselves for duty.

“Do any of you have hunting experience?” is the first thing Kinn says. “The supplies you brought us are great, but people are hungry for fresh meat.”

Jyn raises a hand, and the rest look at her curiously. “What?” the woman says. “There've been times in my life when I had to feed myself and there was no other way. Try not to look so surprised.”

“Good,” Kinn says approvingly and points her in the direction of a hunting party that's getting ready to head out. “I'm guessing since you're battle-hardened Rebels, you've got some fighting experience?” They all have a good laugh at that before Chirrut and Baze are sent to run some drills with the regular sentries. K-2SO goes to keep watch while they're occupied.

Then it's just Kinn, Bodhi, and Cassian left. The Captain is gazing over the pit that marks the destruction of the former Jedha City, an area the refugees have taken to calling the Scar. “Have you sent any recon teams in there?” he asks.

Kinn frowns in the same direction. “No. We didn't figure there would be much left, and there was too much molten rock for it be near safe.”

“It's been long enough that it should mostly have cooled down by now,” Cassian reasons, “and it might be worth a look.” He looks back at her. “Not that I'm trying to take command from you or anything.”

Kinn waves her hands dismissively. “By all means, advise away. I didn't exactly study refugee camp direction in school. If you think it's worth a shot, I'm inclined to agree.”

“I do.”

“Fine then. Ask around and find a few more people to go with you. Be careful.”

“Of course.”

Cassian heads off, and Bodhi is about to ask what he should do when Kinn pins him with a stare.

“Something you want to ask me?” he ventures.

“Your friends are only going to be here for a few days, and when they leave, I expect you're going with them?”

Bodhi can't tell if it's just a question of confirmation or if she's asking him to stay. “I haven't decided yet,” is the honest answer.

Kinn huffs. “You need to go with them,” she says unhesitatingly. “I'm going to hate losing a good worker and a good man like you, but the Rebellion needs people like that too. We can handle ourselves here. We're well established and getting more so everyday. We're close to establishing renewable sources of food and water. The supplies your friends brought are really helping with that. You can do more good out there.” She waves a hand toward the sky.

Bodhi's gaze follows, and he looks up, considering. He pictures himself behind the controls of the U-wing, flying into battle, blaster fire, fear, the rest of Rogue One putting themselves at risk for the greater good. He knows that will all happen regardless of whether he's there or not, but the thought of them going into danger without him isn't one he likes.

Kinn watches his face, smiles a little sadly. “I think you've already decided. You just don't want to admit it.”

Bodhi sighs. “Where do you want me to work today?”

* * *

The camp's reaction to Rogue One's appearance isn't as bad as they feared. There's a decided tension in the air for the first day and a half or so, many people only grudgingly accepting the presence of more Rebels, but everyone seems to decide that as long as they're actually helping and aren't simply here to recruit people for their cause, they'll let it stand.

Even without that intention, though, several people approach asking questions – about the Empire's misdeeds, about the Rebels true goals, and about joining up. Bodhi sends them to Cassian, who agrees that when they leave, they'll take as many of them with as they can.

And then it's over, the third day, and they're packing everyone onto the U-wing, the six of them standing beside the entrance to the ship keeping a watchful eye. Kinn appears and pulls Bodhi aside.

“You've decided,” she says, and it's not a question.

He nods. “They need me.”

She gives him a smile. “You say that like I didn't already know.”

He smiles back at how well she knows him after only a little more than a week. He's going to miss her. “You could come with us, too, you know. The Rebellion could really use someone like you.”

“Someone who can read a list of tasks off a datapad and get other people to do the actual work?” She sticks out her tongue. “Anyone can do that.”

“Seriously, Kinn,” he insists. “You're a good leader.”

“Thanks. And I would think about joining your Rebellion, really, but I think I need to put those skills to use here.” She turns and looks over the camp, which is becoming more established every day as the refugees work together to rebuilt a home for themselves, a soft, proud little smile on her face. “I have people who need me, too.”

“I shouldn't have even asked.” Bodhi laughs softly. He knows her by now, too. “I'm going to miss this place.”

“Door's always open,” Kinn tells him. Then she socks him lightly on the shoulder. “In fact, I'd be offended if you didn't come back to visit.”

“Of course I'll come back. This is home, in a way.”

“Bodhi! Time to go!” comes the call from Jyn.

“Just a minute!” Before he leaves, there's just one more thing he needs to do. Bodhi launches himself forward, wrapping Kinn into a tight hug. “Keep in touch, okay?” he says, and there's emotion plain in his voice.

“Of course, Bodhi.” She hugs him back, just as tight. “Stay safe out there, and may the Force be with you.”


End file.
